Small Drop Research Articles

The Role of Shear Fabric in Controlling Breakdown Processes During Laboratory Slow‐Slip Events

AbstractUnderstanding the physical mechanisms at the origin of slow‐slip events has been proven a very challenging task. In particular, little is known on the role of fault heterogeneity during slow slip. In this study, we provide evidences that fault fabric controls slip velocity time histories during slow‐slip events generated in the laboratory. We performed experiments using a double‐direct biaxial shear apparatus and two different fault gouges, homogeneous quartz powder, and heterogeneous anhydrite/dolomite mixture. We measure details of fault slip to resolve the slip velocity function and volumetric deformation that, coupled with an analysis of the resulting microstructure, allow us to infer the mechanical processes at play. Our results show that slow‐slip events can be generated for both fault gouges when k ~ kc with similar values of breakdown work. The shear fabric exerts a strong influence during the coseismic breakdown stage. In quartz, where most of the slip occurs on a very localized slipping surface, the peak slip velocity is attained near the final stage of friction breakdown and therefore a relevant amount of the mechanical work is absorbed during slip acceleration. In anhydrite/dolomite mixture, the peak slip velocity is suddenly reached after a relatively small drop in friction, accompanied by fault dilation, implying that most of the mechanical work is absorbed during slip deceleration. For anhydrite/dolomite mixture these results are likely related to heterogeneous slip distribution along the observed foliation. Taken together, these observations suggest that the mechanics of slow‐slip events depends on shear zone fabric.

A simple mathematical model of skin diffusion of nerve agent VX in vitro

A simple compartmental mathematical model has been used to describe the penetration of VX, a relatively non-volatile, persistent organophosphorus nerve agent, through pig and guinea pig skin in vitro. Rate constants were derived by fitting the mathematical model to the experimentally measured accumulation of agent in the receptor fluid of Franz type diffusion cells over 24 h following application of a small drop (10 µL) to the surface of the skin and left uncovered. The predictive capability of the model was tested by using these rate constants to predict diffusion when the cells were covered to restrict evaporation and when the agent was applied diluted in a solvent. For guinea pig skin, rate constants derived from the uncovered condition produced reasonable predictions of diffusion in occluded diffusion cells and when small amounts of VX were applied in a volatile solvent. The slightly under-predicted VX absorption under occlusion was consistent with the effects of hydration of the skin. Differences between predicted and experimental values were larger for diffusion through pig skin, possibly due to the lower absorption rates in this species. The model is recommended for use as a relatively simple method of analysis of in vitro diffusion cell data that enhances understanding of the results and eliminates the need to assume abstract mathematical relationships between time and amount absorbed. Assumptions made in the modelling have highlighted areas where further research is required.

Electric-field-induced transitions from spherical to discocyte and lens-shaped drops

Abstract

Emission of Hydrogen Sulfide from Falling Droplets in Sewage Drop Structures

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is the primary cause of odor and corrosion in sewer systems. When wastewater breaks up into small droplets in drop structures, the emission of H2S is expected to be significantly enhanced relative to that of the continuously falling sewage. However, limited studies have been conducted on the mass transfer coefficient, KL, of dissolved gas in falling water droplet emissions into air. In this study, laboratory experiments of falling liquid droplets in air were conducted with two gases: H2S and carbon dioxide (CO2). In the droplet diameter (3.02–4.68 mm) and free-falling height (0.1–1.5 m) testing ranges, the KL value at 20°C was found to be 0.9–4.5×10−4 m/s, which increased with the falling height (or velocity) and decreased with the droplet size. Existing prediction equations show a great range (up to 10 times) for KL and cannot accurately predict the experimental results. Therefore, a modified equation was proposed to better predict KL. In addition, CO2 was found to be a suitable surrogate for H2S in mass transfer due to the toxicity of H2S. Finally, the research results were applied in large and small sewage drop structures. More than 70% of H2S emission to equilibrium could be achieved after falling 15 m in large drop structures depending on droplet sizes. In small drop structures, the results of free-falling water droplets were found to approximately model the complex H2S emission process. This study provides new insights into the physical process and modeling of H2S release in sewage drop structures, which are useful for odor and corrosion control in municipal drainage systems.

Mechanisms of orthopnoea in patients with advanced COPD

Many patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) report an unpleasant respiratory sensation at rest, which is further amplified by adoption of a supine position (orthopnoea). The mechanisms of this acute symptomatic deterioration are poorly understood.Sixteen patients with advanced COPD and a history of orthopnoea and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and detailed sensory-mechanical measurements including inspiratory neural drive (IND) assessed by diaphragm electromyography (EMGdi), oesophageal pressure (P es) and gastric pressure (P ga), in both sitting and supine positions.Patients had severe airflow obstruction (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1): 40±18% pred) and lung hyperinflation. Regardless of the position, patients had lower inspiratory capacity (IC) and higher IND for a given tidal volume (V T) (i.e. greater neuromechanical dissociation (NMD)), higher intensity of breathing discomfort, higher minute ventilation (V'E) and higher breathing frequency (f B) compared with controls (all p<0.05). For controls in a supine position, IC increased by 0.48 L versus sitting erect, with a small drop in V'E, mainly due to reduced f B (all p<0.05). By contrast, IC remained unaltered in patients with COPD, but dynamic lung compliance (C Ldyn) decreased (p<0.05) in the supine position. Breathing discomfort, inspiratory work of breathing (WOB), inspiratory effort, IND, NMD and neuroventilatory uncoupling all increased in COPD patients in the supine position (p<0.05), but not in the healthy controls. Orthopnoea was associated with acute changes in IND (r=0.65, p=0.01), neuroventilatory uncoupling (r=0.76, p=0.001) and NMD (r=0.73, p=0.002).In COPD, onset of orthopnoea coincided with an abrupt increase in elastic loading of the inspiratory muscles in recumbency, in association with increased IND and greater NMD of the respiratory system.

The effect of ink drop spreading and coalescing on the image quality of printed cotton fabric

Cotton fabric has been extensively used as the substrate of inkjet printing to manufacture traditional garments as well as emerging e-textiles due to its comfort, renewability, good dyeability, biodegradability and relatively low cost. In present work, the spreading and coalescence of ink drops on a cotton fabric as well as their effects on the image quality were investigated. A reactive orange 13 dye was selected as the colorant to make it convenient to observe the depositing morphologies of ink drops. The impacting and wetting processes of an ink drop on a cotton fiber were observed through a high-speed camera. Depositing morphologies of an ink drop, coalescing structures of ink drops and patterns printed with different drop spacings were observed through a microscope. The results show that the ink drop stably deposited on the cotton fabric and formed a long strip pattern after wetting. That indicates the inkjet printing pattern on a cotton fabric should be composed of “line segments” instead of round points. The edges of the pattern printed with a small drop spacing appeared bleeding phenomenon due to the ink drops excessively accumulated on the gaps between cotton fibers. Ink drops could not coalesce at a large drop spacing resulting in the printed pattern being discontinuous. The ideal pattern was printed at an intermediate drop spacing, which was 20 µm in this experiment.

Effects of He3 impurities on the mass decoupling of He4 films

We carried out quartz crystal microbalance experiments of a 5 MHz AT-cut crystal for superfluid 4He films on Grafoil (exfoliated graphite) with a small amount of 3He up to 0.40 atoms/nm2. We found that the mass decoupling from oscillating substrate is considerable sensitive even in a small amount of 3He doping. In a 4He film of 29.3 atoms/nm2, we observed a small drop in resonance frequency at T3 of ~0.4 K for a small amplitude, which is attributed to sticking of 3He atoms on the 4He solid atomic layer. For a large amplitude, the 4He solid layer shows a reentrant mass decoupling at TR close to T3. This decoupling can be explained by the suppression of the superfluid counterflow due to the adsorption of 3He atoms on edge dislocations. As the 4He areal density increases, TR shifts to the lower temperature, and vanishes around a 4He film of 39.0 atoms/nm2.

Study on the types and formation mechanisms of residual oil after two surfactant imbibition

For investigating the types and formation mechanisms of residual oil after surfactant imbibition, the easy-emulsifying surfactant Sodium Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate (SDBS) and ultra-low interfacial tension surfactant Sodium Oleate (SOL) were selected. The visual micromodel was adopted to observe the oil morphologies, while the rheometer and the emulsion stability analyzer were applied to analyze formation mechanisms. According to micro experiments, the main types of residual oil after SDBS imbibition are columnar, cluster, blind-end and small drop residual oil whose structure was small fragmented droplet. As for SOL solution, they are mainly blind-end and island residual oil. The formation mechanism of columnar and cluster residual oil is capillary force offsetting, the direction of capillary force forms the blind-end residual oil, while the Marangoni effect and snap-off effect are responsible for island residual oil. The small drop residual oil is from emulsification, which always appears at the intersection of multiple flows. The aromatic groups of SDBS can promote the emulsion more stable by increasing the strength of interfacial film, hence the small drop residual oil only exists after SDBS imbibition.

Retrieval of lower-order moments of the drop size distribution using CSU-CHILL X-band polarimetric radar: a case study

Abstract. The lower-order moments of the drop size distribution (DSD) have generally been considered difficult to retrieve accurately from polarimetric radar data because these data are related to higher-order moments. For example, the 4.6th moment is associated with a specific differential phase and the 6th moment with reflectivity and ratio of high-order moments with differential reflectivity. Thus, conventionally, the emphasis has been to estimate rain rate (3.67th moment) or parameters of the exponential or gamma distribution for the DSD. Many double-moment “bulk” microphysical schemes predict the total number concentration (the 0th moment of the DSD, or M0) and the mixing ratio (or equivalently, the 3rd moment M3). Thus, it is difficult to compare the model outputs directly with polarimetric radar observations or, given the model outputs, forward model the radar observables. This article describes the use of double-moment normalization of DSDs and the resulting stable intrinsic shape that can be fitted by the generalized gamma (G-G) distribution. The two reference moments are M3 and M6, which are shown to be retrievable using the X-band radar reflectivity, differential reflectivity, and specific attenuation (from the iterative correction of measured reflectivity Zh using the total Φdp constraint, i.e., the iterative ZPHI method). Along with the climatological shape parameters of the G-G fit to the scaled/normalized DSDs, the lower-order moments are then retrieved more accurately than possible hitherto. The importance of measuring the complete DSD from 0.1 mm onwards is emphasized using, in our case, an optical array probe with 50 µm resolution collocated with a two-dimensional video disdrometer with about 170 µm resolution. This avoids small drop truncation and hence the accurate calculation of lower-order moments. A case study of a complex multi-cell storm which traversed an instrumented site near the CSU-CHILL radar is described for which the moments were retrieved from radar and compared with directly computed moments from the complete spectrum measurements using the aforementioned two disdrometers. Our detailed validation analysis of the radar-retrieved moments showed relative bias of the moments M0 through M2 was &lt;15 % in magnitude, with Pearson’s correlation coefficient &gt;0.9. Both radar measurement and parameterization errors were estimated rigorously. We show that the temporal variation of the radar-retrieved mass-weighted mean diameter with M0 resulted in coherent “time tracks” that can potentially lead to studies of precipitation evolution that have not been possible so far.

Cardiovascular and Metabolic Responses to Carbon Dioxide Euthanasia in Conscious and Anesthetized Rats.

Euthanasia is a necessary component in research and must be conducted humanely. Currently, regulated CO₂ exposure in conscious rats is acceptable, but data are divided on whether CO₂ alone is more distressing than anesthesia prior to CO₂. To evaluate distress in rats, we compared physiologic responses to CO₂ euthanasia with and without isoflurane preanesthesia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with telemetry devices to measure mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and blood glucose. Animals recovered for 2 wk and were then exposed to either 5% isoflurane (n = 6) or 100% CO₂ (n = 7; calculated 30% chamber volume/min displacement) in their home cages to induce loss of consciousness. Euthanasia was then completed with CO₂ in both groups. MAP and HR increased when the gas delivery lids were placed on the home cages of both groups. Both MAP and HR gradually decreased with isoflurane exposure. MAP increased and HR decreased with CO₂ exposure. Glucose levels remained stable throughout the procedure, except for a small drop in conscious animals initially exposed to 100% CO₂. These data suggest that both gases affect the measured parameters in a similar manner, and that environmental factors, such as gas delivery lid placement, also change these measurements.

Compact Cloud Detection with Bidirectional Self-Attention Knowledge Distillation

The deep convolutional neural network has made significant progress in cloud detection. However, the compromise between having a compact model and high accuracy has always been a challenging task in cloud detection for large-scale remote sensing imagery. A promising method to tackle this problem is knowledge distillation, which usually lets the compact model mimic the cumbersome model’s output to get better generalization. However, vanilla knowledge distillation methods cannot properly distill the characteristics of clouds in remote sensing images. In this paper, we propose a novel self-attention knowledge distillation approach for compact and accurate cloud detection, named Bidirectional Self-Attention Distillation (Bi-SAD). Bi-SAD lets a model learn from itself without adding additional parameters or supervision. With bidirectional layer-wise features learning, the model can get a better representation of the cloud’s textural information and semantic information, so that the cloud’s boundaries become more detailed and the predictions become more reliable. Experiments on a dataset acquired by GaoFen-1 satellite show that our Bi-SAD has a great balance between compactness and accuracy, and outperforms vanilla distillation methods. Compared with state-of-the-art cloud detection models, the parameter size and FLOPs are reduced by 100 times and 400 times, respectively, with a small drop in accuracy.

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of gas-liquid falling film flow characteristics on the airside of finned-tube heat exchanger with a typical large fin pitch

The closed-type heat-source tower (CTHST) heat pump system is a more promising alternative to the conventional air-source heat pump (ASHP) unit compared with the open-type heat-source tower (OTHST) heat pump system. However, the heat transfer efficiency of the CTHST is significantly lower than that of the OTHST, resulting from its indirect heat transfer way, liquid film break-up and high gas phase pressure drop. To provide a theoretical basis for the heat-mass transfer enhancement and structural optimization design of the high-performance CTHST, a three-dimensional (3D) model taking gas-liquid interfacial friction force into consideration was established in the present paper to study counter-current and co-current gas-liquid falling film flow characteristics on the airside of the finned-tube heat exchanger (FTHE) with a typical large fin pitch used in the CTHST. The predicting results of liquid film thickness based on the established model show good agreement with those of experiments in the reference, with a maximum deviation less than 5%, meaning that this model is reliable. Then the effects of contact angle, air flow direction, air Reg and liquid film Rel on liquid film characteristics were studied. The prediction correlation of average liquid film thickness was presented. The pressure drop characteristics of gas phase were analyzed in the co-current gas-liquid flow under three different liquid film Rel. Meanwhile, the change law of interfacial friction force with air Reg was revealed. The numerical results show that the critical mass flow rate of complete film flow on the finned-tube surface with contact angle of 30° is 0.06 kg/(m⋅s). The average liquid film thickness on the surface of the FTHE is obviously higher than that on the vertical plate. There is a close and positive quadratic curve relation between average interfacial friction force and air Reg. To obtain a complete film flow and small air pressure drop, the air Reg should be less than 2190.7 and 3286.0 in the counter-current and co-current gas-liquid falling film flow, respectively.

Size Independent Sensitivity to Biomolecular Surface Density Using Nanoscale CMOS Technology Transistors

We investigate the impact of field effect transistor (FET) transducer size on its sensitivity to biomolecular surface charge density, as would be encountered in a bulk biomolecule concentration measurement. We characterize electrolytically gated transistor sensors fabricated completely using CMOS FinFET technology and analyse a wide range of channel lengths (3000 nm to 450 nm) and widths (1000 nm to 60 nm). We measure saturated density of biomolecules on the transducer surface in order to eliminate variabilities related to association kinetics or affinity effects of the analyte-receptor biomolecules. We use transistor gate voltage shift to quantify the saturated PNA/DNA hybridization signal. We observe no significant dependence of saturated DNA hybridization signal (29.5 ± 3.7 mV) on transistor dimensions for 15 base pair long DNA with an areal density of about 8.3 x 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">4</sup> DNA/μm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> measured in 1.5 mM buffer. We also confirm these experimental findings by 3D TCAD simulations for transistor widths down to 10 nm, with less than 6% variation in voltage transduction sensitivity versus width. TCAD analysis was also performed for scaling of the FET height from 250 nm down to 5 nm, resulting in a similar small drop in voltage transduction sensitivity (~ 5.5% for a 250 nm wide FET and ~ 14.6% for a 10 nm wide FET). These results show that the FET sensor downscaling does not significantly improve or degrade voltage transduction sensitivity to a charge (or molecule) density.

A case of recurring spinal ependymoma in 37-years old man after surgery and adjuvant therapy

We present the case of a 39-years old man who underwent three surgeries because of spinal ependymoma located in cauda equina region. He presented at the Oncology Institute of Vojvodina for combined adjuvant chemo- and radiotherapy after the second surgery. An MRI examination performed after six cycles of therapy showed no signs of disease. 26 months later, a follow-up MRI showed recurrence of disease in the form of small drop metastasis. Six months later, the patient underwent the third surgery. The patient is currently receiving another cycle of radiotherapy, and is scheduled for additional cycles of chemotherapy. Ependymomas are the most common spinal cord malignancy in adults. The symptoms are nonspecific which often causes a delay in diagnosis. An MRI examination of the spine with contrast admission is the study of choice for detecting spinal cord masses. Surgery is the first-line therapy for ependymomas. Recurrence rate is associated with the extent of surgical resection, with en bloc and gross-total resection being associated with lower rates of disease recurrence. In children under 3 years, adjuvant chemotherapy is advocated, while older children and adults undergo adjuvant radiotherapy or combined chemo- and radiotherapy in cases of subtotal resection or tumor recurrence.

Cotton fabrics-derived flexible nitrogen-doped activated carbon cloth for high-performance supercapacitors in organic electrolyte

Activated carbon cloth, due to its excellent flexibility, good conductivity, and high surface area, is featured as a kind of promising material for energy storage devices. However, the non-optimized pore structures limit its application as electrode material in supercapacitors with organic electrolytes, which can provide both high energy density and power density due to the high applied cell voltage. In this paper, nitrogen-doped activated carbon cloth with hollow tubular fiber units, high surface area, controllable hierarchical porous structure, and beneficial surface functional groups, is synthesized via a simple ammonia treatment of commercial cotton fabrics. The resulting organic-electrolyte supercapacitors based on this hierarchical porous hollow carbon cloth exhibit a high specific capacitance (up to 215.9 F g−1 at 1 A g−1), extremely high rate capability (89% from 1 A g−1 to 200 A g−1), small IR drop (0.23 V at 100 A g−1), outstanding cycling stability (98% capacitance retention over 20 000 cycles), as well as good flexibility. This N-doped activated carbon cloth thus overcomes the drawbacks of presently available carbon cloths and opens up a new horizon toward energy storage devices with high energy density at high power density.

First Record of Cacopsylla pulchella (Hemiptera, Psyllidae) in Croatia

The aim of this study is to identify plant lice Cacopsylla pulchella a new alien insect in the fauna of Croatia. We propose a new method of infestation level assessment in order to assess the potential of this insect as a pest. In May 2020 samples were collected from eleven locations in Croatia, where Cercis siliquastrum is grown in parks. Adults and nymphs of C. pulchella were collected together with a plant material and brought to entomological laboratory for further analysis. Field research was performed in order to assess the distribution and infestation intensity across various localities in Croatia. The intensity of infestation was assessed heuristically by visual examination and was categorized in four categories: 0) no infestation, 1) low, 2) moderate and 3) high infestation. C. pulchella was confirmed on C. siliquastrum in eleven localities in Croatia. Most of the infested trees had a low or moderate intensity of infestation. Damages caused by this insect are due to the emission of honey dew, a small spherical drop covered with waxy secretion causing necrotic areas which could lead to the premature fall of the leaves. It is not known what kind of progress in infestation intensity could be expected so infested trees found in this study should be checked closely in the coming years. It is strongly suggested to continue the monitoring of this alien insect on C. siliquastrum in Croatia and to estimate its potential of become an invasive pest which could endanger ornamental and other values of its hosts.

Effect of Shorea robusta methyl ester biodiesel blends on the exergy and sustainability analysis of diesel engine

ABSTRACT In this experimental investigation, the impact of engine load, compression ratio, and percentage blends of biofuel on exergy, energy, and sustainability parameters for the samples of diesel based (10–40% v/v) biodiesel blends were performed on variable compression ratio engine. The brake thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency, engine sustainability, exergy destruction rate, and other exergy parameters were found to escalate with the escalating engine load, compression ratio, and percentage of Shorea robusta methyl ester biodiesel fuel blends. The exergy and energy efficiency of the engine with diesel fuel were 2.05%, 6.98%, and 10.63%, respectively higher than 10%, 30%, and 40% Shorea robusta methyl ester fuel and 2.23%, 8.67%, and 9.22%, respectively at 50% engine load and 1500 rpm engine speed. The influence of compression ratio, engine load, and fuel blends on the exergetic performance parameters revealed a similar trend with energetic parameters, but the magnitude of exergy parameters was found lower than the energetic parameters. The application of Shorea robusta methyl ester biodiesel blends improved the combustion characteristics with a small drop in energy and exergy performance parameters and sustainability of the engine. The exergy destruction rate and entropy generation rate for shorea robusta methyl ester biodiesel blend were found lower than the conventional fuel. Therefore, the fuel blend have a high potential to be an alternate to the conventional fuel without any design modification of diesel engines.

Textile Masks and Surface Covers-A Spray Simulation Method and a "Universal Droplet Reduction Model" Against Respiratory Pandemics.

The main form of COVID-19 transmission is via “oral-respiratory droplet contamination” (droplet: very small drop of liquid) produced when individuals talk, sneeze, or cough. In hospitals, health-care workers wear facemasks as a minimum medical “droplet precaution” to protect themselves. Due to the shortage of masks during the pandemic, priority is given to hospitals for their distribution. As a result, the availability/use of medical masks is discouraged for the public. However, for asymptomatic individuals, not wearing masks in public could easily cause the spread of COVID-19. The prevention of “environmental droplet contamination” (EnvDC) from coughing/sneezing/speech is fundamental to reducing transmission. As an immediate solution to promote “public droplet safety,” we assessed household textiles to quantify their potential as effective environmental droplet barriers (EDBs). The synchronized implementation of a universal “community droplet reduction solution” is discussed as a model against COVID-19. Using a bacterial-suspension spray simulation model of droplet ejection (mimicking a sneeze), we quantified the extent by which widely available clothing fabrics reduce the dispersion of droplets onto surfaces within 1.8 m, the minimum distance recommended for COVID-19 “social distancing.” All textiles reduced the number of droplets reaching surfaces, restricting their dispersion to <30 cm, when used as single layers. When used as double-layers, textiles were as effective as medical mask/surgical-cloth materials, reducing droplet dispersion to <10 cm, and the area of circumferential contamination to ~0.3%. The synchronized implementation of EDBs as a “community droplet reduction solution” (i.e., face covers/scarfs/masks and surface covers) will reduce COVID-19 EnvDC and thus the risk of transmitting/acquiring COVID-19.

Orthostatic Blood Pressure Recovery Is Associated With the Rate of Cognitive Decline and Mortality in Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease

BackgroundImpaired recovery of blood pressure (BP) after standing has been shown to be related to cognitive function and mortality in people without dementia, but its role in people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the orthostatic BP response with cognitive decline and mortality in AD.MethodsIn this post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial (Nilvad), we measured the beat-to-beat response of BP upon active standing in mild-to-moderate AD. This included the initial drop (nadir within 40 seconds) and recovery after 1 minute, both expressed relative to resting values. We examined the relationship between a small or large initial drop (median split) and unimpaired (≥100%) or impaired recovery (<100%) with 1.5-year change in Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment—cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) scores and all-cause mortality.ResultsWe included 55 participants (age 73.1 ± 6.2 years). Impaired BP recovery was associated with higher increases in ADAS-cog scores (systolic: β [95% confidence interval] = 5.6 [0.4–10.8], p = .035; diastolic: 7.6 [2.3–13.0], p = .006). During a median follow-up time of 49 months, 20 participants died. Impaired BP recovery was associated with increased mortality (systolic: HR [95% confidence interval] = 2.9 [1.1–7.8], p = .039; diastolic: HR [95% confidence interval] = 5.5 [1.9–16.1], p = .002). The initial BP drop was not associated with any outcome. Results were adjusted for age, sex, and intervention group.ConclusionsFailure to fully recover BP after 1 minute of standing is associated with cognitive decline and mortality in AD. As such, BP recovery can be regarded as an easily obtained marker of progression rate of AD.

O9.1. SATISFACTION WITH USING A NOVEL FINGERSTICK FOR ABSOLUTE NEUTROPHIL COUNT (ANC) AT THE POINT OF TREATMENT IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH CLOZAPINE

BackgroundClozapine is an effective antipsychotic for treatment-resistant schizophrenia that requires monitoring of the Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) due to the potential of clozapine induced neutropenia. Standard monitoring requires a routine venous draw which is considered one of the most significant barriers to patients starting or continuing the medication. This project assesses the feasibility, patient and clinician satisfaction with both venous blood drawing for ANC monitoring and a novel method for measuring ANC with a fingerstick using capillary blood.MethodsDuring an open-label clinical trial of clozapine, participants with schizophrenia received both a venous blood draw and a capillary finger stick at baseline, week 2 and week 4. Capillary testing was done onsite using the newly FDA Class II cleared automated diagnostic device. This device performs tests on capillary finger stick samples collected directly into the provided test strip. This works by using a microfluidic test strip channel that creates a stained monolayer of white blood cells. Multiple images are taken of the monolayer and the cells are counted and classified by computer vision-based image analysis on a cloud server. This device offers technology that provides ANC results within 5 minutes using a small drop of blood drawn in the clinic and has been found to have a correlation to reference lab results of >0.94 in over 30, 000 testings.We measured patient satisfaction using a questionnaire with a 5-point Likert Scale rating domain of pain, worry, concern about blood volume, concern for where blood is sent and irritation with blood drawing and we anonymously measured clinical team members satisfaction with an anonymous survey. The study was conducted at two sites (one inpatient hospital and one research clinic) and approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Maryland and respective research committees.ResultsWe enrolled 20 participants and 20 clinical team members for the surveys. Most patients believe the doctor is able to provide better care given immediate results. They also feel the elimination of unknown people touching the blood is a benefit of fingerstick monitoring. Patients indicated that they are more likely to remain on clozapine with fingerstick testing versus venous testing. There was a trend for higher agreement that using the venous blood draw negatively impacts their health (3.2 vs 2.8, p=0.068). In terms of pain, patients indicated that venous blood monitoring was slightly painful and more worrisome than fingerstick monitoring. Clinician ratings are high with mean scores >4 for satisfaction with device, satisfaction with immediate results, advancement in treatment, and improved patient care.DiscussionThe device is very user friendly and technology appears to be a significant advance for clinicians. Patients do not appear to worry about having venous blood draws or fingersticks but rate their most significant concern with venous blood draws is its negative effect on their health. However, patients strongly feel the fingerstick helps their doctors and their care. The use of POC devices may decrease or eliminate a significant barrier and may help improve the use of this underused evidence-based medication.Funding: This project was funded by NIMH R01MH102215 (Kelly PI). Athelas provided the Athelas One devices for two locations but provided no funding for the project.